Energy Update

WARSAW, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Lower commodity prices and a stronger U.S. dollar are a big challenge for emerging markets and will probably exert downward pressure on credit ratings in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America in 2016, Fitch Ratings' top sovereign analyst said.

Startup Powerhive, a company that provides off-grid energy access to people in emerging markets said on January 25 that it completed a Series A $20M financing round led by Prelude Ventures with participation from Caterpillar Ventures, Total Energy Ventures, Tao Capital Partners, Pi Investments, and select other private investors.

How easy is it to go solar in your state? A new “report card” by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and Vote Solar grades all 50 U.S. states on two important criteria for solar development: interconnection standards and net-metering policies.

The outlook for the geothermal industry in 2016 is “positive,” Geothermal Resources Council President Paul Brophy said at the start of the year.